Flip top induction cooktop

ABSTRACT

Provided is a cooktop assembly that includes a generator that produces a high-frequency alternating current and is configured to be coupled to a surface of a cabinet. An adjustable cooking surface with a heating coil is electrically connected to the generator to conduct the high-frequency alternating current produced by the generator and induce an induced current in a cooking vessel supported by the adjustable cooking surface in a cooking orientation. An adjustable coupling pivotally couples the adjustable cooking surface to the generator and supports the adjustable cooking surface at a plurality of different angular orientations relative to the generator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/734,046, filed Dec. 6, 2012, which is incorporated in its entiretyherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to kitchen appliances and, moreparticularly, to induction cooktops.

2. Description of Related Art

Many kitchens lack the amount of countertop surface area desired byresidents, who would benefit from additional space usable forpreparation of food items, for example. A portion of the already-limitedcountertop surface area available for food preparation is also occupiedby other kitchen necessities such as cooktops on which food can becooked.

One such cooktop commonly found in kitchens is an induction cooktop.Induction cooktops conduct a high-frequency current through a heatingcoil to generate a high-frequency magnetic flux that induces a currentin cookware made of a ferromagnetic material. This induced currentcauses the cookware, and the food contained therein, to be heated. Togenerate the high-frequency current conducted through the heater coils,however, induction cooktops have utilized bulky circuitry fixedimmediately adjacent to each heater coil. Such circuitry renderedinduction cooktops to be fixed, permanent installations that consumedvaluable countertop space.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an adjustable inductioncooktop having an adjustable cooking surface including a heating coilconfigured to be pivotally or otherwise adjusted relative to a generatorboard. The adjustable cooking surface can thus be adjusted to expose,and render usable, a countertop or other work surface concealed by thecooking surface while the cooking surface is in a cooking orientation inwhich cookware is inductively heated as a result of the conduction ofelectric current through the heating coil.

According to one aspect, the subject application involves a cooktopassembly including a generator that produces a high-frequencyalternating current and is configured to be coupled to a surface of acabinet. The cooktop assembly further includes an adjustable cookingsurface comprising a heating coil electrically connected to thegenerator to conduct the high-frequency alternating current produced bythe generator and induce an induced current in a cooking vesselsupported by the movable portion while the movable portion is in acooking orientation. An adjustable coupling pivotally couples theadjustable cooking surface to the generator and supports the adjustablecooking surface at a plurality of different angular orientationsrelative to the generator.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a cooktopassembly including an adjustable cooking surface with a heating coilthat conducts an alternating electric current and induces an inducedcurrent in a cooking vessel supported by the adjustable cooking surfaceto heat the cooking vessel. A hinge pivotally supports the adjustablecooking surface to be pivotally adjusted between a cooking orientation,in which an externally-exposed surface of the adjustable cooking surfaceis substantially horizontal, and a stowed orientation in which theexternally-exposed surface is substantially vertical. A generator iscoupled to the hinge to generate and supply the alternating electriccurrent conducted by the heating coil, and a duct is formed within ahinge housing to convey cooling air entering an air inlet generallytoward the adjustable cooking surface.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a cooktopassembly including a generator that produces a high-frequencyalternating current and is configured to be coupled to a surface of acabinet. An adjustable cooking surface is also provided, and includes aheating coil electrically connected to the generator to conduct thehigh-frequency alternating current produced by the generator and inducean induced current in a cooking vessel supported by the movable portionwhile the movable portion is in a cooking orientation. A hinge pivotallycouples the adjustable cooking surface to the generator and supports theadjustable cooking surface at a plurality of different angularorientations relative to the generator. An air inlet is formed in atleast one of a hinge housing forming a portion of the hinge and agenerator housing enclosing at least a portion of the generator to allowfor the introduction of cooling air into the cooktop assembly. A duct isformed within the hinge housing to convey cooling air entering the airinlet generally toward the adjustable cooking surface. A damping devicecoupled to the hinge slows pivotal adjustment of the adjustable cookingsurface toward a countertop surface of the cabinet to which the cooktopassembly is to be installed relative to an undamped rate at which theadjustable cooking surface can be pivotally adjusted.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a cooktop witha movable portion in a raised position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the cooktopwith the movable portion in a lowered position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the cooktop thatis mounted relative to a cabinet and where a movable portion is in thelowered position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the cooktop ofFIG. 3 and where the movable portion is in the raised position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the cooktop ofFIG. 3 shown with a first cooling air path;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the cooktop thatis mounted relative to a cabinet and where the movable portion is in thelowered position; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the cooktop ofFIG. 3 shown with a second cooling air path.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase “at least one of”, if usedherein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of themembers, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example,the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means inthe present application: the first widget, the second widget, or thefirst widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a firstwidget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the presentapplication: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, thefirst widget and the second widget, the first widget and the thirdwidget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget andthe second widget and the third widget.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, an exemplary embodiment of a cooktopassembly 10 is illustrated. The cooktop assembly 10 may be arranged withrespect to a cabinet 12 that may be part of a kitchen, for example. Thecabinet 12 includes a countertop 14 and optionally doors 16 and/ordrawers 18 that provide access to storage space 20. The countertop 14provided atop the cabinet 12 may be formed of a durable, and optionallyheat-resistant solid material with a flat surface on which food itemscan be handled and prepared for cooking and/or serving. Illustrativeexamples of the material from which the countertop surface 14 can beformed include, but are not limited to, granite, marble, quartz,concrete or the like.

According to one embodiment, the cooktop 10 includes an adjustablecooking surface 22 that is movable relative to a stationary generator 24(shown in the cutaway region 26 of the generator housing 28 appearing inFIG. 4). The cooking surface 22 is coupled to the generator 24 by ahinge 30, for example, such that the cooking surface 22 can be pivotedaround the hinge 30 relative to the generator 24 along the arcuate path32 shown for illustrative purposes in FIG. 1. In other words, thegenerator 24 is installed at a fixed location of the cabinet 12 and isnot designed to pivot about the hinge 30 like the cooking surface 22.According to an embodiment of the cooktop assembly 10, the cookingsurface 22 can optionally be pivotally adjusted about an axis ofrotation 36 established by the hinge 30 between a cooking orientation asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which an externally-exposed surface 34 onwhich a cooking vessel (e.g., pot, pan, etc. . . . ) (not shown) is tobe supported while food therein is cooked is substantially horizontal,and a stowed orientation in which the externally-exposed surface 34 isarranged in a substantially-upright, vertical orientation as shown inFIGS. 1 and 4). The externally-exposed surface 34 of the cooking surface22 is said to be substantially-horizontal in the cooking orientation,meaning that the externally-exposed surface 34 is not sloped to anextent that risks allowing the cooking vessel to slide. Also, theexternally-exposed surface 34 of the cooking surface 22 is said to besubstantially-vertical in the stowed orientation, meaning that thecooking surface 22 is upright enough to allow the portion of thecountertop 14 that is concealed by the cooking surface 22 in the cookingorientation to be exposed for use in the preparation of food items. Inthe stowed orientation, the cooking surface 22 remains extendedvertically above the countertop 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Accordingto an embodiment, the cooking surface 22 and hinge 30 can optionallylack a vertically-adjustable support structure that would allow thecooking surface 22, or a substantial portion thereof, to be adjusted tobe recessed below the countertop 14 when not in use to cook food items.

The cooking surface 22 may be configured in a panel-like shape accordingto the present embodiment. A glass pane can form the externally-exposedsurface 34, and overlay a tray portion 38 with upright side wallsforming a bottom and sides of the cooking surface 22. The bottom of thecooking surface 22 opposes, and optionally rests on the countertop 14while the cooking surface 22 is in the cooking orientation. For theembodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the bottom feature 21 includes aninsignia, logo, trademark/service mark, etc. . . . provided to thebottom of the tray portion 38 of the cooking surface 22 to be visible tooccupants of the kitchen while the cooking surface 22 is in its stowedorientation. However, the bottom feature 21 can take on any desiredappearance and/or structure. For instance, the bottom feature 21 caninclude a so-called flat-panel television (e.g., LCD, LED, OLED, plasmadisplays, etc. . . . ) on which motion picture video and/or still imagesand/or computer-generated images can be displayed, a dry-erase board(e.g., glossy, white or other colored surface for nonpermanentmarkings), chalkboard, any other surface, and any combination thereof inplace of, or in addition to the logo shown in, and described withreference to FIGS. 1 and 4 for illustrative purposes.

At least one, and optionally a plurality (e.g., four (4), five (5), etc.. . . ) heating coils 40 (shown by hidden lines in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) aresupported within the tray portion 38 and concealed by the glass paneforming the externally-exposed surface 34 of the cooking surface 22. Aspace or other suitable duct can be established between the one or moreheating coils 40 and the glass pane on which the cooking vessel is to besupported to allow for the passage of cooling air there through toprovide a cooling effect to the heating coil(s) 40. The componentsincluded as part of the cooking surface 22 can be kept to a minimum tominimize the profile of the cooking surface 22 resting on the countertop14 in the cooking orientation. According to alternate embodiments of thecooktop assembly 10, of all of the electronic components utilized toconduct electric currents to inductively heat the cooking vessel, thecooking surface 22 can be limited to include only the coils 40 andoptionally a portion of the cable(s) 42 described below can be housedwithin the cooking surface 22.

Each of the heating coils 40 can be formed as a substantially-flat,spiral coil formed from a length of an electrically-conductive materialsuch as copper, for example, wound several turns in a common plane. Tobe considered substantially-flat, every turn of the coil does notnecessarily have to be arranged exactly in the same common plane, asminor deviations are permissible. However, the major planar surface ofthe resulting heating coil 40 closest to the overlaid glass pane of thecooking surface 22, when considered as a whole, should be approximatelyparallel with the externally-exposed surface 34 on which cooking vesselrests while being inductively heated. Since the generator 24 that driveseach coil 40 is arranged separate from the cooking surface 22, thecooking surface can optionally have a height (in the vertical dimension,extending normally upward from the countertop 14 when the cookingsurface 22 is viewed in the cooking orientation) that is less than one(1″) inch. Accordingly, the vertical distance from the countertop 14 tothe externally-exposed surface 34 can be approximately one (1″) inch orless.

In operation to heat a cooking vessel supported on theexternally-exposed surface 34, a high-frequency (e.g., at least 10 kHz,at least 20 kHz, etc. . . . ) alternating current is conducted throughthe wound coil. The high-frequency alternating current is produced by acollection of electric circuitry referred to herein as the generator 24from an alternating current (e.g., having a voltage of approximately 220V at a frequency of 50 Hz, or having a voltage of approximately 240 V at60 Hz) supplied by a conventional AC mains electrical outlet in aresidential dwelling. A flexible cable 42 (shown as hidden lines in FIG.4) or other suitable electrically-conductive material extends betweenthe generator 24 and at least one, and optionally a plurality of heatingcoils 40 to conduct the high-frequency electric current between thegenerator 24 and the respective heating coil(s) 40. The cable 42 can beof a suitable length to maintain the electrical connection between theheating coil(s) 40 and the generator 24 regardless of the orientation inwhich the cooking surface 22 is arranged.

The generator 24 can optionally be at least partially, and optionallyfully, enclosed within a rectangular, box-shaped generator housing 28.The hinge 30, which can optionally include a plurality ofconcentrically-aligned cylindrical portions, allows the cooking surface22 to be adjusted toward the horizontal cooking orientation, andadjusted in the opposite direction approximately 90° toward the uprightstowed orientation. To minimize the likelihood of damage to the cookingsurface 22 and/or underlying countertop 14 from the inadvertent droppingof the cooking surface 22, the cooktop assembly can optionally beprovided with a damping device 44 to slow pivotal adjustment of thecooking surface 22 toward the countertop 14 from a rate at which thecooking surface 22 would otherwise drop under the force of gravityalone, without the damping device 44 (an “undamped” rate). Shown ashidden lines in FIGS. 1 and 4, the damping device can optionally includea fluid-filled cylinder containing relatively-adjustable segments, therelative rotation of which are impeded by a viscous (e.g., having agreater viscosity than water at room temperature and pressure) fluid.According to embodiments of the cooking apparatus 10, the damping device44 can be enclosed within a cylindrically-shaped hinge 30.

Installed on the cabinet 12, the hinge 30 can be at least partiallyinserted into an aperture formed adjacent to a rearward region of thecountertop 14. The aperture may have inside dimensions similar to theexternal dimensions of the hinge 30. According to the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the generator housing 28 extends downwardly,through the aperture into an interior (e.g., within the storage space20) of the cabinet 12, or optionally reward of the storage space 20(e.g., between a wall and a rear partition establishing the depth of thestorage space 20). Parts of the cabinet 12 may be cut out or otherwisecustomized to accommodate installation of the cooktop assembly 10.

The cooktop assembly 10 can also optionally include one or more airinlets 48, shown in FIG. 5, through which cooling air can enter thegenerator housing 28. The inlet 48 can be formed as a grate or otherrestricted aperture, optionally adjacent to a lower region of thegenerator housing 28 in the vertical orientation, where cooler air thanthat adjacent to the uppermost region of the generator housing 28 nearthe hinge 30 may be available. Cooling air entering the generatorhousing 28 through the air inlet 48 can optionally pass over thecircuitry forming the generator 24 through natural convection or forcedconvection created through operation of a fan such as a so-calledsquirrel-cage blower or fan 50 (FIG. 5), thereby providing a coolingeffect to that circuitry as the cooling air travels upward, generallytoward the hinge 30. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5,the cooling air may follow a path indicated generally by arrow 52, andenter the cooktop assembly adjacent the lower region of the generatorhousing 28, move upward therein, and then exit the generator housing 28to be introduced to a duct within the interior of the hinge 30. Thecooling air is then expelled from the hinge 30 into the duct between theheating coil(s) 40 and the glass pane forming the externally-exposedsurface 34, where it cools the heating coil(s) 40 en route to beingexpelled from a forward region 54 of the cooking surface 22 asillustrated by the move past the hinge and the induction coils, and exitat the front of the cooking surface 22 (FIG. 5).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of the cooktop assembly 10may be configured similarly so as to include the hinge 30 and thecooking surface 22, but lack the vertically-oriented, upright generatorhousing 28 of the preceding embodiments. Instead, the cooking surface 22include a substantially-cylindrically shaped hinge housing 60 thathouses the circuitry forming the generator 24 that supplies thehigh-frequency electric current required to power the heating coil(s)40. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the generator 24 isdisposed within an interior cavity defined by the hinge 30. Similar tothe preceding embodiments, the hinge 30 may be at least partiallyinserted into an aperture formed adjacent to a rearward portion of thecabinet countertop 14. In the present embodiment, however, the hingehousing 60 includes an air inlet 62 through which cooling air can entera duct or other interior passage defined in the hinge housing 60. Again,a suitable fan or blower 64 can be provided to achieve the desiredairflow through the hinge housing 60 and/or cooking surface 22. Just asfor the preceding embodiments, the cooling air exiting the hinge housing60 in a forward direction can be introduced to a duct, the space betweenthe one or more heating coils 40 and the glass pane on which the cookingvessel is to be supported, or other interior passage defined within thecooking surface 22 to provide a cooling effect to the heating coil(s)40, and optionally other features involved in inducing the electriccurrent in the cooking vessel, before being exhausted from a forwardregion 54 of the cooking surface 22 in the direction generally parallelto the direction indicated by arrow 66. Additionally, or alternately,the cooling air can be directed along a length of the hinge 30 in thedirection of arrow 68, in a transverse direction relative to the coolingair path indicated by arrow 66. Thus, some embodiments of the cooktopassembly 10 can be configured to achieve a multi-dimensional coolingeffect for different portions of the cooktop assembly 10.

Any of the embodiments described herein can optionally include a balancespring in place of, or in addition to the damping device 44, to supportat least a portion of the cooking surface's 22 weight and give theimpression that the cooking surface 22 is lightweight. The balancespring can optionally be a helical spring or other suitable device,optionally disposed within the hinge 30 similar to the damping device44, to provide the cooking surface 22 with a near “neutral buoyancy”that allows the cooking surface 22 to be raised by the application of aforce that is less than would be required to pivotally adjust thecooking surface 22 without the balance spring.

Moreover, the cooktop assembly 10 may be provided with a controller thatturns off and/or interferes with activation of all heat-generatingoperations once the cooking surface 22 is adjusted away from the cookingorientation. Such a feature can be embodied in a number of ways such asa switch, a level sensor, or parts provided on a printed circuit board.Furthermore, the cooktop assembly 10 may also be provided with a lockingfeature that prevents movement of the cooking surface 22 away from thecooking orientation if the presence of a kitchenware is sensed on theexternally-exposed surface. For example, an inductive signal can begenerated by the heating coil(s) 40 or by a sensor adjacent to theheating coil(s) 40, or a weight sensor can be utilized to detect thepresence of the cooking vessel or other foreign object. Thus, thelocking feature, which can be positioned adjacent to the damping devicewithin the hinge 30, would allow the cooking surface 22 to be raisedonly if no item is present on the externally-exposed surface of thecooking surface 22. This can be enabled by using induction coils with apan sense capability.

The entirety of the cooktop assembly 10 may be “factory-made”, ready forinstallation, such that the generator 24, hinge 30 and heating coil(s)40 require no assembly at the site of installation by the end-user orservice technician, and only the mounting of the cooktop assembly 10 tothe cabinet 12 is necessary. This is beneficial with respect to theheating coil(s) 40 which are high voltage, high current and highfrequency devices. Because the quality and torque of the connection ofthe heating coil(s) to the generator 24 can affect proper operation ofthe cooktop assembly 10, distributing the cooktop assembly 10 in afactory-made form ensures proper assembly is achieved.

The aforementioned embodiments of the cooktop assembly 10 allow thespace underneath the cooking surface 22 to be used as countertop spacefor preparation of food items to be served and/or cooked. It is alsopossible to configure the cabinet with drawers directly below thecooking surface because the space directly underneath the cookingsurface 22 and the cooking surface when the cooktop assumes the loweredposition is not occupied by components of the cooktop.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of this invention. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooktop assembly comprising: a generator thatproduces a high-frequency alternating current and is configured to becoupled to a surface of a cabinet; an adjustable cooking surfacecomprising a heating coil electrically connected to the generator toconduct the high-frequency alternating current produced by the generatorand induce an induced current in a cooking vessel supported by theadjustable cooking surface while the adjustable cooking surface is in acooking orientation; and an adjustable coupling that pivotally couplesthe adjustable cooking surface to the generator and supports theadjustable cooking surface at a plurality of different angularorientations relative to the generator.
 2. The cooktop assembly of claim1, wherein the generator comprises a generator housing configured to becoupled to the cabinet with a major planar surface of the generatorhousing oriented in a substantially vertical orientation within aninterior of the cabinet.
 3. The cooktop assembly of claim 1 furthercomprising an electrical connector that is adaptable to establish aconductive pathway between the generator and the heating coil while theadjustable cooking surface is in each of the plurality of differentangular orientations.
 4. The cooktop assembly of claim 1, wherein theadjustable cooktop surface comprises a substantially-planar glass paneconcealing the heating coil and at least one additional heating coil,and the heating coil and the at least one additional heating coil arearranged in a common plane substantially parallel with a planar exteriorsurface of the glass pane.
 5. The cooktop assembly of claim 1, whereinthe adjustable coupling comprises a hinge comprising asubstantially-cylindrical portion that is to be at least partiallyinserted into a recess formed in a top surface of the cabinet that isexposed when the adjustable cooking surface is adjusted to an uprightorientation relative to the generator.
 6. The cooktop assembly of claim5, wherein the hinge comprises a damping feature configured to dampenpivotal adjustment of the adjustable cooking surface about the hingetoward the top surface of the cabinet.
 7. The cooktop assembly of claim5, wherein the hinge comprises a balance spring configured to preventpivotal adjustment of the adjustable cooking surface about the hingetoward the top surface of the cabinet under only a gravitational force,and without an externally-applied force, imparted on the adjustablecooking surface.
 8. The cooktop assembly of claim 2, wherein thegenerator housing comprises: an air inlet through which cooling airenters the generator housing; and an interior passage directed generallytoward the adjustable cooking surface, wherein the cooling air enteringthe air inlet passes through the interior passage to provide a coolingeffect to the generator within the generator housing.
 9. The cooktopassembly of claim 8, wherein the adjustable cooking surface comprises aduct between the heating coil and a glass pane on which the cookingvessel is to be supported, and the housing further comprises an airoutlet in fluid communication with the duct through which the coolingair is introduced to the duct.
 10. The cooktop assembly of claim 5,wherein the hinge comprises a generally-cylindrical hinge housingcomprising: an inlet formed adjacent to a lateral end of the hingethrough which cooling air enters the hinge housing; and an outletthrough which the cooling air entering the inlet exits the hinge housingin a direction generally toward a front edge of the adjustable cookingsurface.
 11. The cooktop assembly of claim 1 further comprising acontroller that interferes with operation of the heating coil while theadjustable cooking surface is adjusted to an alternate orientation otherthan the cooking orientation.
 12. The cooktop assembly of claim 1further comprising a locking mechanism that prevents adjustment of theadjustable cooking surface from the cooking orientation while thecooking vessel is determined to be present on the adjustable cookingsurface.
 13. A cooktop assembly comprising: an adjustable cookingsurface comprising a heating coil that conducts an alternating electriccurrent and induces an induced current in a cooking vessel supported bythe adjustable cooking surface to heat the cooking vessel; a hinge thatpivotally supports the adjustable cooking surface to be pivotallyadjusted between a cooking orientation where an externally-exposedsurface of the adjustable cooking surface is substantially horizontaland a stowed orientation where the externally-exposed surface issubstantially vertical; a generator coupled to the hinge to generate andsupply the alternating electric current conducted by the heating coil;and a duct formed within a hinge housing to direct cooling air enteringan air inlet generally toward the adjustable cooking surface.
 14. Thecooktop assembly of claim 13, wherein the generator is disposed within ahinge housing, and the air inlet is provided to the hinge housing. 15.The cooktop assembly of claim 14, wherein the air inlet is formedadjacent to a lateral end of the hinge housing and the cooling airenters the air inlet and provides a cooling effect to the generatorbefore being directed by the duct toward the adjustable cooking surface.16. The cooktop assembly of claim 13, wherein the hinge housing issubstantially cylindrical and is to be at least partially inserted intoa recess formed in a top surface of a cabinet to which the cooktopassembly is to be installed.
 17. The cooktop assembly of claim 13,wherein the hinge comprises a damping feature configured to slow pivotaladjustment of the adjustable cooking surface toward a top surface of acabinet to which the cooktop assembly is to be installed relative to anundamped rate at which the adjustable cooking surface can be pivotallyadjusted.
 18. The cooktop assembly of claim 13, wherein the generator isdisposed within a substantially-vertically oriented generator housingcoupled to the adjustable cooking surface by the hinge, and the airinlet is provided to the generator housing.
 19. The cooktop assembly ofclaim 14, wherein the air inlet is formed adjacent to a lowermost regionof the generator housing such that the cooling air entering the airinlet provides a cooling effect to the generator before being directedby the duct provided to the hinge toward the adjustable cooking surface.20. A cooktop assembly comprising: a generator that produces ahigh-frequency alternating current and is configured to be coupled to asurface of a cabinet; an adjustable cooking surface comprising a heatingcoil electrically connected to the generator to conduct thehigh-frequency alternating current produced by the generator and inducean induced current in a cooking vessel supported by the adjustablecooking surface while the adjustable cooking surface is in a cookingorientation; a hinge that pivotally couples the adjustable cookingsurface to the generator and supports the adjustable cooking surface ata plurality of different angular orientations relative to the generator;an air inlet formed in at least one of a hinge housing forming a portionof the hinge and a generator housing enclosing at least a portion of thegenerator; a duct formed within the hinge housing that conveys coolingair entering the air inlet generally toward the adjustable cookingsurface; and a damping device coupled to the hinge to slow pivotaladjustment of the adjustable cooking surface toward a top surface of acabinet to which the cooktop assembly is to be installed relative to anundamped rate at which the adjustable cooking surface can be pivotallyadjusted.